Page 22 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2021-22

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS iv) Dentists are working as public health doctors in
community outreach programmes in Assam,
• Infrastructure units (Cancer Care Centres) are nearing Tirupati, Ranchi, Chandrapur, and Cuttack. They are
completion. Over 500 domain-trained doctors, nurses, engaged at the ‘Swasth Kiosks’ and in community
and technicians have been recruited for seven centres at outreach activities for cancer screening and
Barpeta, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Darrang, Kokrajhar, awareness. These public health doctors are also
Lakhimpur, and Tezpur in Assam; Tirupati in Andhra engaged in the training and capacity building of
Pradesh, Ranchi in Jharkhand, and Chandrapur frontline health workers for oral cancer screening.
in Maharashtra.
• 235 nurses have been hired at Tirupati, Ranchi,
• Four categories of doctors have been recruited for Cancer Chandrapur, and Assam. These include oncology
Care Centres to be operated by the Cancer Care specialist nurses, palliative care nurses, and outreach
Programme under the “Distributed Cancer Care Model.” nurses. All freshly recruited nurses undergo a mandatory
These include: 12 week-long Nursing Induction Programme, while
experienced nurses undergo a two-week long Nursing
i) 45 oncology specialists, including medical oncologists, Induction Programme. The Cancer Care Programme has
surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear also designed a special 11-month Nursing Fellowship
medicine consultants, radiologists, onco-pathologists, Programme to upskill registered nurses as oncology
and anaesthesia specialists. specialist nurses.

ii) Post-graduate doctors from multiple • 176 technicians have been recruited for the Cancer Care
specialities hired as fellows to Centres in Assam, Mumbai, Tirupati, and Ranchi and are
undergo training for three years, being trained in onco-pathology, radiology, radiation
wherein they spend a year at a therapy, laboratory, anaesthesia, and to work in the
high-volume cancer centre and Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD).
two years at Cancer Care
Programme Centres working as • There has been a renewed impetus in ‘early detection’
specialist registrars. Upon completion e orts made by the outreach teams across locations.
of the fellowship, these doctors will Frontline workers are being trained to promote cancer
be absorbed by the programme awareness messages deeper into the community, with
as per suitability, eligibility, the aim of increasing cancer screening. Sta at the
and requirement. Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) are being trained
to conduct screenings for oral, breast, and cervical
iii) Doctors with MBBS degrees are cancers. The kiosks continue to provide screening
hired as general duty medical services to patients, caregivers, and visitors at
o cers to assist oncology specialists in consultation the respective hospitals.
and treatment of patients at day care, OPD, IPD,
post-operative, and palliative care.

15